The present invention relates generally to systems for broadcasting multimedia information, such as terrestrial, cable, and satellite television broadcast systems, and more particularly, to a method and system for implementing interactive broadcast programs and commercials.
Conventional television broadcast systems simply broadcast predetermined commercials during regularly scheduled commercial breaks in regularly scheduled television programs transmitted on a given broadcast channel. As such, the present television broadcast systems are entirely passive, in the sense that they do not give the viewer any choice with respect to the content of the television program and/or commericals received on a given channel. The only options the viewer has are to watch the program being delivered, switch channels, or turn the television off. Further, all viewers which receive a television program broadcast over a given broadcast channel will view the same commercials.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,515,098, issued to Carles, discloses a device and method for distributing different commercials to different subscribers in a so-called xe2x80x9cvideo on-demandxe2x80x9d system. In this system, commercials can be targeted to specific households which the advertisers determine to be part of their xe2x80x9ctarget marketxe2x80x9d for the particular product or service being advertised, e.g., based upon demographic and other information which is compiled in a subscriber database. While the Carles system provides a certain level of flexibility and choice to the broadcasters and advertisers as to the commercials which are delivered to the end-users, this system still does not provide the end-user (consumer) with any choice with respect to the content of the television program and/or commericals received on a given channel. Moreover, the Carles system is limited in its applicability to a commmunications network in which individual subscriber units connected to a central server are individually addressable, e.g., a video on-demand network.
Based on the above and foregoing, it can be appreciated that there presently exists a need in the art for a broadcast television system which is interactive (rather than passive), in the sense of enabling the end-user (consumer) to choose between two or more viewing options with respect to the program material being broadcast over a given broadcast channel. The present invention fulfills this need in the art.
The present invention, in one of its aspects, encompasses a system for implementing an interactive broadcast program, which includes a transmitter for transmitting a multiplexed data stream which includes a main program and a plurality of different commercials, and a receiver (e.g., a digital television receiver) configured to receive the multiplexed data stream. The receiver includes a display device (e.g., a television monitor) and, facilities responsive to a user action for causing the display device to display a selected one of the plurality of different commercials during a commercial interruption in the main program.
The facilities responsive to a user action preferably include a digital signal processor for processing the multiplexed data stream in such a manner as to cause the display device to simultaneously display a plurality of multimedia hotspots indicative of respective ones of the plurality of different commercials during commercial interruptions in the main program, and a user-operated control device for enabling a user to choose a selected one of the displayed multimedia hotspots by means of the user action, to thereby cause the corresponding commercial to be displayed by the display device, e.g., by means of pointing and clicking on the selected one of the displayed multimedia hotspots corresponding to the selected commercial.
The present invention, in another of its aspects, encompasses a system for implementing an interactive broadcast program, which includes a transmitter for transmitting a multiplexed data stream which includes an interactive main program comprised of a plurality of main program segments including at least a first main program segment and a plurality of different second main program segments, and a receiver. The receiver (e.g., an analog television receiver equipped with a digital set-top box) includes a display device (e.g., a CRT), and facilities responsive to a user action for causing the display device to branch to a selected one of the plurality of different second main program segments at a branching point of the first main program segment.
The facilities responsive to a user action preferably include a digital signal processor for processing the multiplexed data stream in such a manner as to cause the display device to simultaneously display a plurality of multimedia hotspots indicative of respective ones of the plurality of different second main program segments at a branching point of the first main program segment, and a user-operated control device for enabling a user to choose a selected one of the displayed multimedia hotspots by means of the user action, to thereby cause the program to branch to the selected second main program segment, e.g., by means of pointing and clicking on the selected one of the displayed multimedia hotspots corresponding to the selected second main program segment.
The present invention, in another of its aspects, encompasses a method for implementing an interactive program, which includes the steps of transmitting a multiplexed data stream which includes a main program and a plurality of different commercials, receiving the multiplexed data stream, and displaying a selected one of the plurality of different commercials during a commercial interruption in the main program in response to a user action.
The present invention, in another of its aspects, encompasses a method for implementing an interactive program, which includes the steps of transmitting a multiplexed data stream which includes an interactive main program comprised of a plurality of main program segments including at least a first main program segment and a plurality of different second main program segments, receiving said multiplexed data stream, and branching to a selected one of the plurality of different second main program segments at a branching point of the first main program segment in response to a user action.
The present invention, in yet other of its aspects, encompasses a transmitter, a receiver, and a multiplexed data stream which facilitate various facets of the above-described method and system of the present invention.